Nelson Ghost Town

Introduction

Nelson Ghost Town, located in Eldorado Canyon, Nevada, is a historic site renowned for its rich mining past and picturesque desert landscape. Once a booming town during the gold rush era of the mid-19th century, Nelson was known for the Techatticup Mine, the oldest, richest, and most famous gold mine in southern Nevada. The mine dates back to the mid-19th century when it was a hotbed of activity during Nevada's gold and silver rush. Tours of Techatticup Mine are available from Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours, as of 2024 the cost is $20 per person.

Today, Nelson is a popular destination for tourists, photographers, and history enthusiasts. It is also a wedding venue. Rustic, weathered buildings, antique vehicles, mining equipment, and quirky memorabilia fill the site. Nelson Ghost Town's distinct visual appeal has made it a go-to for filmmakers and a source of inspiration for game developers seeking to recreate the eerie and historical charm of deserted, once-thriving locations. Nelson appears in the movie "3,000 Miles to Graceland" (2001) and also in the video game "Fallout: New Vegas".

Travel Directions to Nelson Ghost Town from Henderson, Nevada

1. Start in Henderson, NV and get on I-515 S/US-93 S/US-95 S heading south.
2. Continue on I-11/US-93/US-95 South for approximately 10-15 miles.
3. Take Exit 56 for NV-165.
4. Turn left onto NV-165 E/Eldorado Canyon Road and follow it east for about 13 miles. There are many pullouts along NV-165 where you can camp (boondock).
5. Arrive at Nelson Ghost Town, parking is on the right. After parking, cross the road and check in with the property owners.

The drive takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic and your starting location in Henderson. The road is paved, so watch for signs as you approach the town.

When to Go

Nelson is open every day except Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Hours vary by season, call (702) 291-0026 for current hours. Summers are scorching in Nelson, with highs often exceeding 100° F, and should be avoided. Rattlesnakes are also present during the warmer months. Rattlesnakes hibernate from mid-November through March, and winters are cool with highs near 55° F, so this is a good time to visit Nelson.

The nearest town to Nelson with available climate data is Boulder City, Nevada. Boulder City is less than twenty miles from Nelson, and the elevations are comparable. The following graphs of Boulder City climate are from weatherspark.com.

Photography

Nelson is privately owned and operated, and you must pay a fee to photograph there, whether you are a professional photographer or not. The fee is $10 per photographer per hour. While Nelson normally closes before sunset, night photography is possible by pre-arrangement or by arriving before the office closes. The owner allows the use of LED panels to light the exterior of Nelson's buildings at night. Milky Way photography is reasonably good. The chapel is the best subject for photography. Unfortunately, its best side faces north, so the chapel is not great for Milky Way photography. The tall hills surrounding Nelson may block part of the Milky Way arc, depending on the season. My favorite image of the chapel uses the Cholla cactus to the southwest as foreground. Be careful around the Cholla, as its many spines are difficult to remove. Cholla is also known as Jumping Cholla as its stems easily detach when brushed. You'll find many Cholla stems on the ground near the chapel. I suggest you wear mid-height boots when visiting.

Small weddings are often held at the Nelson chapel. The chapel is rented out in one-hour increments for small wedding parties. During weddings, the chapel area is closed to the public. Before going to Nelson, call the office and verify that weddings are not being held in the late afternoon. Access to the interiors of most buildings in Nelson is currently forbidden, but the chapel's interior is open. The chapel's interior is very sparsely furnished.

You can fly a drone over Nelson provided a wedding ceremony or other special event is not in progress. The owner asks that drones do not fly over the ridge to Nelson's south.

The hills surrounding Nelson are yellow and gray and do not photograph well mid-day. At sunrise and sunset, the hills take on a warm orange color and are spectacular. Nelson is not normally open at sunrise unless you make prior arrangements. The hills west of Nelson block the light at sunset, so the last light on Nelson occurs about an hour before sunset. Photoephermis can better show you when the last light hits the area.

Overall, Nelson is quite cluttered with interesting vintage objects. You will need to compose carefully to remove distractions from your images, or you will need to use the remove tool in Photoshop extensively.

Google Map showing various Points of Interest

To view the map in Google Maps please click anywhere on the map above.

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This page was last updated 11/11/2024